U.S. membership has increased in the Catholic Church — the nation's largest Christian body — but the No. 2 Southern Baptist Convention, along with most mainline Protestant denominations, reported continuing decline, according to new figures released by the National Council of Churches.

The new English translation of the Roman Missal might not be in U.S. parishes for as long as two years, but Father Rick Hilgartner, associate director of the U.S. bishops' Secretariat of Divine Worship in Washington, hopes Catholics are talking about it now.

Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed he will this year make the first papal visit to the UK since John Paul II's of 1982. He is expected to visit Birmingham - as part of the planned beatification of Cardinal John Newman - and Scotland. Dates for the trip have not been set.